NeXt Gen Season Two
by Nighty999
Summary: A continuation! NeXt Gen season two is here!
1. The Loss of a Hero

SEASON TWO

Episode 1: The Loss of a Hero

"Okay Johnny, pay attention."

"Hwa?" Johnny looked up from his gameboy. He was sitting in the back of the X-Jet, bored as he could possibly be. His father and Kurt were taking him out on an easy mission to see if he was ready to be a leader of the Beta Team. It had been nearly a year since he lost his memory, he was a year older, and still they had to test him.

"This is going to be a simple mission, just the three of us versus Quicksilver, okay?" Scott said. "We just want to test your skills and all of your new training."

"Yeah, sure, okay," he said, waving him off and getting back to his video game. He was so absorbed in it that he didn't notice his father walking over to him after handing the controls to Kurt. Scott pulled the game out of his hands. "Hey! What's the big idea??"

"You see? That's exactly what I'm talking about." Scott folded his arms. "You have to be aware of your surroundings. That's the only way you can lead a team."

"Hey, if I did it before I lost my memory, I can do it now, right?" Johnny shrugged and grinned. "No big deal, I've been training for a year. I can handle it!"

"We'll see in a moment," he said sternly. "We're there."

As the three mutants stepped off of the jet, Kurt looked around. The trees that surrounded them covered them in a green-tinted sunshine. "I hear him already," he said, grinning. "Moron."

"Never take the enemy lightly Johnny," Scott said, glaring at Kurt. "Nightcrawler, scout the area."

Kurt saluted him sarcastically. "Yessir, Cyclops sir!" he shouted as he teleported.

"God, what an idiot," Scott groaned.

"So when do we fight this creep?" Johnny looked around and shrugged. "I don't see him anywhere."

"In a moment, son," he said. "Wait for Nightcrawler to get back."

...

_Five-year-old Johnny Summers reached out and touched the stove, immediately pulling it away and yelping in intense pain. "Mommy," he cried. "Daddy, ouch!"_

_Scott rushed in. "Johnny, what is it?"_

_"The stove bit me," Johnny sobbed, holding his hand protectively to his chest. "It hurts. Make it stop hurting."_

_"Here, we just run some cold water over it," Scott picked him up and sat him on the counter. He took Johnny's hand and put it under the faucet, turning on the cold water. Johnny felt immediate relief and sighed. _

_"Thanks daddy..."_

_"The stove didn't bite you, kiddo," he said. "It was just hot. You have to be careful, and always check something out before you go and touch it, okay? If you had put your hand a few inches away from the stove, you would have felt the heat radiating off of it."_

_Johnny nodded. "Check it, then touch it. Got it."_

_"That's my boy," Scott smiled and ruffled Johnny's hair, getting him off of the counter and walking out. Johnny watched him go, holding his wrist and grinning._

_That's my boy._

...

"That's my boy."

Johnny sighed and sat on a log. "Now what did I do?"

"You're being patient, waiting for Nightcrawler to scout out the area." Scott smiled. "That's what a stealth member is for. Always let the stealth member go out first, and when he comes back you can formulate a plan."

"But what if you just wanna PUNCH somethin'?" Johnny said anxiously. "And what if your team doesn't HAVE a stealth member?"

"Then you improvise."

Johnny grinned. "Improvise? Now THAT sounds like fun!"

Nightcrawler telelported back into the clearing. "All clear. I saw him about a mile from here though, heading right this way."

Scott glared at him. "That's what you call 'all clear'?"

"Oh come on, Quicksilver's a pushover," Kurt laughed.

"Don't say that in front of Johnny," Scott growled. "Now come on. We have to retrieve those plans."

"Can I run ahead?" Johnny begged. "Please?"

"No, stick with your team," Scott said sternly.

...

_Ten years old. "This is your new teammate."_

_Johnny folded his arms, staring across the danger room at boring old Ben. "HIM? THIS is my new teammate?"_

_Scott smiled at him. "Now, be friendly. Ben has a lot he can teach you about being on a real team."_

_The eleven-year-old winked at him. "Think you can beat me?" he asked in his scratchy voice, glasses glinting. "I've been on a REAL team, and you only just got your powers."_

_"That doesn't mean I can't beat you!" Johnny clenched his fists. "You're not better than me."_

_"On the contrary..."_

_"Boys, boys," Scott said, holding up his hands. "Be nice. You're a team now, the two of you and Eevee Taylor."_

_Both boys looked at him. "EEVEE TAYLOR? Blech!!"_

_Scott laughed. "Maybe you two aren't so different after all."_

...

Johnny stood behind Scott as he looked out into the clearing. Kurt crept back into the brush and looked at them. "There he is," Kurt said, pointing out the clearly visible silver-haired mutant. "Maybe he should dye his hair camouflage."

"Shut up," Scott said. "Stop goofing off, we see him."

"Let's kick his butt," Johnny cackled quietly.

"No, wait for my--"

"Yahoo!" Kurt leaped out of their hiding place as Pietro spotted them. "Hello my speedy friend, what's cooking?"

"You are," Pietro laughed, folding his arms.

"Ooooo, good one, got any more in your empty head?"

"Kurt," Scott growled. "You idiot."

"If he jumped out, can I jump out?' Johnny looked up at Scott hopefully.

"Might as well," Scott said dully, adjusting his visor and stepped out.

...

_"Guys, if you don't stop fighting, we'll never get anywhere!"_

_"Shut up, I don't listen to GIRLS," Johnny shouted, sticking his tongue out. Ben sighed and shook his head in despair. His first new teammates and they were acting like babies. They would never defeat Magneto like this._

_"Maybe you should listen to girls!" Eevee snapped. "Science proves that men only use half of their brain."_

_"So what, you girls use none of yours."_

_"Be quiet you two," Ben scolded. "Now listen up. Three robots are going to walk out of that door. Got it?"_

_"Got it," Eevee nodded enthusiastically. _

_"Huh, this is gunna be easy." Johnny powered up his telekineses and prepared for a real fight._

...

Johnny was just turning around to congratulate himself. Pietro had gone down easy, like all the others in the Danger room. He wondered sometimes why the bad guys even bothered to try. Smiling, he was shocked as Kurt cried out and Scott leaped in front of Johnny.

The noise was deafening, and a dull ringing filled his ears. He screamed and could not hear. Flash, he thought. A sonic blast. He was just barely remembering what one of those sonic blast could do when his father collapsed in front of him, uniform tattered and eyes glazed over and staring at the sky.

"It's a trap," Kurt screamed as Ironhawk flew down and help Pietro up. Flash laughed at them as he stepped out of the trees.

"Daddy," Johnny shrieked, dropping to his knees. "Daddy! Wake up!"

"Johnny," he whispered. "Run."

"Dad," Johnny sobbed. "Come on, you're coming with us."

Kurt grabbed his shoulder. "Johnny, we have to go, we're outnumbered."

"But dad--!"

"I'm not going to make it, kiddo," Scott breathed. "Run. Run as fast as you can."

...

_Eleven years old. "As fast as I can?"_

_"Yes, Johnny, all the way around the track twenty times at full speed," Scott said, hooking up the timer that Forge had built. "This thing is going to track your speed. Don't take it off."_

_Johnny nodded happily. "Great, now when Ben asks how I'm better, I can give him an actual number."_

_"Enough," Jean laughed. "Seriously, are you two always fighting?"_

_"Yup," Johnny said, preparing for his run. "And it's gunna stay that way, too."_

_"Alright, get ready," Scott said, looking at his watch. "On your mark, get set..."_

...

"Go!"

Kurt yanked on his arm and Johnny was shocked out of his memory, looking up and jumping to his feet. "Go," Kurt repeated, pushing Johnny away from Scott. Johnny wiped his nose on his hand and bolted. As fast as I can, he thought. Dad told me to go as fast as I can.

Wind blasted past his face, burning his skin, drying his tear-drenched cheeks. Dad is going to be okay, he assured himself. He was always okay. He always came back from his missions. He was going to be just fine.

He made it to the jet almost as Nightcrawler appeared there in a cloud of sulfur, Scott over his shoulder. Kurt pushed Johnny to the back of the blackbird and sat in the pilot's seat. He didn't say a word as he took off, trying his best not to look at the copilot seat where he had dropped Scott.

"Is he gonna to be okay?" Johnny asked meekly after a few moments of silence.

"I don't know," Kurt whispered. "I hope so."

...

"You can't stay in here, Johnny," Hank said, taking his shoulders and steering him out of the infirmary. "I'll do my best."

"Just tell me he'll be okay," Johnny begged. Hank flinched as the teen looked at him pleadingly. No young face should ever look like that, the old doctor thought to himself.

"I'll do my best," he repeated. "Go sit in the waiting room."

Kurt looked at him as he returned. "Well, Henry? Can you help him?"

Henry McCoy looked sadly from Scott's bed to Kurt's despair-filled eyes. He slowly shook his head.

Johnny, watching from the doorway, barely felt the single tear fall from his cheek. It splashed onto the linoleum tile floor, soundless.

NEXT: To Pay Respects


	2. To Pay Respects

Disclaimer: I do not own the X-men, namely Kurt, Kitty, Tabitha, Amara, Xavier, Magneto, Scott, Rogue, Gambit, Wolverine, X23, or Alex Summers (ect, ect...) but I own all of my original characters. I also don't own Steel Magnolias...

Episode 2: To Pay Respects

_It was dark that night, and cold as I recall, for I clearly remember having to wear a coat over my shoulders. I believe it may have belonged to Erik, who had accompanied me on this fairly important mission. A mutant girl had finally appeared on our scans. We had been working on Cerebro for almost a year, and Erik had nearly given up in searching for promising young people. One morning, I found her: Ariana. _

_Ariana was a special girl, even for mutant standards. Her powers were not only dangerous but uncontrollable as well, and she frequently hurt family and friends by mistake. The first day we met her she had harmed her older brother over a dispute about a jar of cookies. Erik saw promise in her. I saw someone who needed our help. _

_She was young, and frightened, very small for her age and quite pretty already. She had delicate features that disguised her extreme abilities. Erik and I had several arguments about what to do with the girl. Keeping her in confinement seemed to be the most logical option, though it seemed wrong to do that to someone so young and new to the world. Erik argued that we could use her power to further our goals, but I strongly disagreed. We finally decided isolation until control was obtained was our best plan._

_The night we went to retrieve her is one of the most shameful and terrible memories I hold in my possession. I have never done anything so revolting before or since, or so I hope. We tracked her down, captured her, locked her away. She has been hidden away in my school's infirmary ever since that day. _

_Years of attempted control lessons did not work. Years of explaining did not calm her. She grew angrier by the day, more powerful by the minute. Erik agreed she should be put away for a time when he realized even he, the Master of Magnetism, could not hold her. There she lies, in as comfortable a bed as I could provide, with the best medical help I could buy, and still she sleeps. _

_I fear she may be waking up._

...

The Professor looked up from his journal, startled. Kurt walked in, holding the door open with his tail, and set a large box on the chair across from the desk. "I got everything I could find," he said. "Scott's stuff."

"Is this really everything?" Xavier said wearily, feeling the weight return to his shoulders and chest. Scott was dead. His Scott was dead.

"Even the stuff I scrounged up in the basement," he said. "Old school stuff, wedding pictures..." He reached into the box and pulled out a handful of worn-out ruby quartz sunglasses. "A ton of these."

"Give one to me," he said, holding out an old, shaky hand. He accepted the pair that Kurt placed in his palm and set it carefully on the corner of his desk. I will miss you, he thought, Scott Summers.

"Jean's taking it okay, as far as I can tell," Kurt said sadly, settling into a chair. "Rogue won't come out of her room, Gambit's been standing at her door all week now. The funeral promises to have a pretty big turn-out."

"Tonight," Xavier said. "Will you be there?"

"Of course," Kurt replied, voice cracking only a little. "What kind of best friend would I be if I wasn't there? Kitty won't have Karl with a babysitter, so we have to bring him along."

"Have you spoken to John yet?"

Kurt flinched. "Johnny... didn't take all of this so well."

There was a short burst of wind around the room, and the pair of ruby quartz glasses in Kurt's hand was gone. Kurt stared at his empty palm sadly. "He's not taking it well at all."

...

Johnny fell back onto his bed, bouncing a bit before settling down. He held the glasses above his face, looking through them. "So this is what the world was like for you," he said to himself quietly. He put the glasses on and sat up, pushing his hair back with a single shaking hand. Fifteen and no father. He shook his head. His father was supposed to see him lead Beta Team again.

But wait, he thought suddenly. I was teammates with Ben and Eevee once. He had remembered bits and pieces of the training sessions with them.

"Now isn't the time," He said, standing. He had to get a suit on. He opened his closet and looked at the black suit his mother had gotten for him. Lifting one sleeve mournfully, he stuck out his tongue. "What would dad wear? Not a stupid suit like this."

His eyes flickered to the back corner of the closet, where his uniform was. He had shoved it back there the night his father had died. He had sworn never to wear it again. He pulled it out and looked it over, pulling a piece of lint off of it thoughtfully. "This," he said. "Dad would wear this."

...

Jean jumped as the knock sounded through the Summers living room. Getting up from the couch covered in used tissues, she pulled her robe closer to herself and crossed the room, opening the door. "Hello?" she sounded terrible even to herself.

"Yo," Tabitha Smith let herself in, walking past Jean, followed by Amara. "No one here, right?"

"Just Rachel," Jean said, sitting back down. "You caught me at a pretty bad time."

"We just wanted to see if you were okay," Amara found a place to sit after moving a few photo albums.

"Do I look okay?" Jean said, annoyed as she blew her nose again. Tabitha folded her arms.

"I called Kitty and Rogue." Tabitha looked determined. "They are coming over and we are going to watch Steel Magnolias and whatever other chick flicks we can get our hands on."

"What?" Jean shook her head. "No, I want to be alone."

"You've been alone for two weeks, Jeanie," Amara said quietly. "We just want to spend time with you."

Jean leaned back into the couch and sighed. "You all feel bad for me."

"No," Tabitha said.

"I mean, Rogue has Remy, and Kitty has Kurt, or so she says, and you guys have each other," she said insistingly. "You don't feel sorry for me?"

"Sure we feel bad," Amara said. "But it's sort of a friend pity, not an annoying pity."

Jean smiled weakly at them. "Alright, fine. When are the other two getting here?" The door bell rang and Jean laughed. "Thanks you guys."

"No problem," Amara said gently, putting a hand on Jean's shoulder as Tabitha got up to let the others inside.

...

Ben sat next to Johnny. The funeral was over, everyone was clearing out, and Johnny was still sitting on the bench a little ways away from the grave. "Why the Hell are you wearing those glasses?" He asked in his steadily deepening voice. His vocal cords were finally catching up to his sixteen-year-old body.

"They're dads," Johnny shrugged. "I guess they make me feel like I'm near him."

"You were lucky to have Scott for a dad," Ben said. "You were lucky to have a dad at all."

"You didn't have one?" Johnny looked at him. There were still chunks of his memory he couldn't hold onto.

"No," he said. "I grew up in an orphanage. I guess I have a dad now. The Professor was happy to hear that I'm a clone of him."

"But what about the--"

"Don't bring that up," Ben said darkly. "I will hit you."

Johnny fell silent. Ben had gotten considerably meaner over the past year, after NeXt Gen had defeated the Beast. Everyone had changed. Raven never spoke to anyone anymore, always reading or locked in her room, or both. Chloe had discovered camouflage clothing, leather, and martial arts, slowly becoming a smaller, female Logan. Jonah and Jasmine were getting closer every day, spending almost all of their time together, though they denied any kind of romantic relationship. Eevee was becoming strongly academic, studying harder than any living person should have to. Twitch was easily the best example of change, running around with Dani almost all of the time, constantly struggling to keep his appearance a secret, ridiculous and slightly funny considering that Dani was blind. Lorelai and Nico had moved from friends to flirty games to hiding out in each other's rooms, completely ignoring Lory's inability to touch another person's skin. And Kaylee and Richiu were still new to everyone, both rather reclusive and annoyingly stuck-up, Richiu especially so.

Ben seemed to have changed completely and remain exactly the same way all at the same time. Johnny was constantly baffled by the broody boy, as was everyone.

"Since you're already in uniform," Ben broke Johnny from his thoughts. "Want to mess around in the danger room?"

"Sure, alright," Johnny said, getting up and stretching. Glancing over at the grave, he stopped. Ben noticed his hesitation and touched his arm.

"We'll all miss him," Ben said softly, a little more tender than usual.

Johnny nodded and the two retreated into the house.

...

"Hello?" Alexis called quietly, wandering out into an empty hall. "Can somebody help me?" Looking around, she sighed. "I'm lost."

Being lost isn't so bad, she thought to herself, taking a few steps down the hall. The infirmary wasn't _that _big, she would find her father and grandpa somewhere. Alex, her father, had promised to let her watch Hank work for a few hours. She had done so happily. The trouble was, she couldn't find her way back to the main house.

She felt for sure someone was following her, the narrow hallway giving her the creeps. "C-cousin Johnny?" she whispered, turning her head to look back. "Are you there?" There was no one, but she refused to relax. "Ben? Joey? Nico?"

A wild thought popped into her head, her young age getting in the way of her superior intelligence. "Uncle _Scott?"_ she said in a hushed voice, hoping to God and anyone else who happened to be listening that ghosts were stupid and not real.

Walking past a padlocked door, she became suddenly cold and shaky. She stopped walking and stood next to the door, staring straight ahead at the far wall, not wanting to look at the small window in the door beside her and at the same time, wanting to. She felt like someone was staring at her. Slowly taking in a deep breath, she slowly turned her head to look up at the window looking into the room beyond the door.

Looking down at her was a pale-faced, fair-haired girl, bright and pale blue eyes staring down at Alexis, one hand pressed against the cold glass. The ten-year-old's mind battled with her mother's rage and her father's sensibility. Neither won. Instead, she did what any young child would do.

She screamed.

NEXT: Ariana, Jonah and Apple Fritters


	3. Ariana, Jonah, and Apple Fritters

Disclaimer: I do not own the X-men

Episode 3: Ariana, Jonah and Apple Fritters

The girl with the pale face quickly put a finger to her lips, eyes widening as Alexis screamed. Alexis stepped back, voice faltering as she saw that it was, in fact, a real person. Looking from the girl's crystal clear eyes to the locks on the door, Alexis became curious about her. She couldn't stop herself as she unlocked the door and pushed it open.

She was small and thin, with an almost porcelain-like complexion. Her fair blond curls hung loosely around her face, framing her sharp cheekbones and tiny nose. She almost looked like a china doll, shivering in her hospital gown, blinking in the sudden light from the hallway. "Where am I?" she asked. "What is this place?"

"This is the infirmary," Alexis answered hesitantly. "I've never seen you before, who are you?"

"Where is this infirmary located?" the girl said, ignoring Alexis' question.

"Um, the institute?" Alexis watched the girl as she stepped into the hall and looked around. "Xavier's institute?"

"I don't... remember..." She said. "Xavier? I know that name."

"Who are you?" Alexis repeated.

The girl seemed lost, standing in the center of the hallway under the blinding light. She looked like a ghost, hands held to her chest in a motion of fear and confusion. "My name is... Ariana." She whispered. "I don't know this place. Can you help me?"

Alexis nodded. "Maybe you're hungry. Wait here, I'll be right back."

...

Jonah looked at Ben across the table. "Yeh alright?" he asked, spooning a lump of cereal into his mouth. "Look a little down, friend."

Ben shrugged. "I guess it's nothing."

"Don't look like it's nothin'." Jonah pointed at Ben. "You've been like that for a good two weeks now. Mopin', wanderin' around. What's wrong with yeh?"

"There's this friend I have," Ben started. "Well, he's my friend's cousin."

"Okay..." Jonah urged him along, knowing how this game worked. Jasmine pulled the 'I have this friend' thing all the time.

"And my friend's cousin wants to talk to this girl," he said. "But he doesn't know how. I mean, doesn't want to. Or, I don't know."

"Well, why doesn't he just talk to her?" Jonah suggested, playing along.

"I don't know, it's not me," Ben said defensively.

"Right," Jonah smiled and nodded. "O' course. It ain't you. Well, if ah knew this friend's cousin, and ah was talkin' to him, ah would tell him that girls ain't that scary. Ah mean, they're kinda nice once yeh open up to 'em."

"They are?" Ben asked uncertainly.

"Yeah," he said. "So tell your friend's cousin there ain't nothin' to be scared of."

"Right," he said. "So... I'll go call him right now."

"You do that," Jonah gave him a thumbs up and smiled at him. "Tell me what he says, okay?"

"Alright," Ben waved as he got up and walked out of the kitchen. He was nearly run over as Alexis ran in. "Watch it!"

"Sorry Benny," she squealed. "'Scuse me, Joey?"

"Yeah half-pint?" Jonah said, looking up at her.

"Do we have anything like granola bars or something?"

"Ah don't know, let me look," he said, standing and walking to the cabinet. "Ah think we have... ow."

"What is it?" Ben watched from the doorway. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Jonah said, putting a hand on his forehead. "Yeah, ah just saw..." He leaned against the counter, hand over his eyes, and slid to the floor.

"Jonah," Ben rushed over. "What's wrong?"

"Ah don't know," he said, looking at Ben and shaking his head. "It's almost like ahm fading back and forth..."

"Between what?" Alexis asked.

"Between here and..." he paused, pulling off his hat and looking at it. "...home."

"Come on," Ben said, helping him to his feet. "Let me get you to the infirmary."

"Um, I'll take him," Alexis said. "I have to go up there anyway."

"Sure," Ben said, steering Jonah out of the kitchen. "Can you walk?"

"Ahm fine." Jonah nodded, holding his hat protectively, like a security blanket.

...

"I brought you apple fritters," Twitch handed them to Dani as a peace offering. "I'm sorry, Dan."

"Don't 'I'm sorry' me," she said angrily. "You were an hour late! You didn't even call."

"I had to take Johnny to the doctor's," he said.

"Johnny, that's your sick friend, right?" she said. "How is he?"

"His father just died, he's doing horrible," Twitch said miserably. "He even hates beating me at scrabble now."

"Jake," she said, smiling. "You're sweet. I forgive you."

"You do?"

"Yeah," she said. "Thanks for the fritters."

"No problem," he said. "I made them. Um, if there's like, fur in them, that was my cat, he gets on the counters."

"It's okay," she said. "Um... Jake?"

"What?"

"Are you going to kiss me eventually?"

Twitch froze up, letting out a squeaking sound. "Ahm..."

"Is that a no?" she said. "I don't know what I look like, but I know I am not ugly."

"No," he said. "No, you're beautiful, you are, but... It's not you, it's me."

"Of course," she said. "It's not me. As usual. That's what they all say. I thought you were different, Jake."

"But Dani..."

"Just take me home." She folded her arms over her chest, obviously upset.

"Sure Dan," Twitch said sadly.

...

"You must be having some sort of mental attack," Hank said softly, trying to calm Jonah down.

"Ah already told all of yall, ah am not crazy!" Jonah cried. "Why doesn't anyone believe me?"

"I don't know how to explain this to you, Jonah," Hank said. "There is no possible way that you are from 1885. There really is no way. Do you understand?"

"Well, there must be a way," Jonah said angrily. "Because ah know what ah remember, and ah know ah remember 1885!"

"I am going to let you calm down," Dr. McCoy stood up and started to leave the room. "Alright? Get some rest. I promise, I'm trying to help you... whatever the truth may be."

...

"Ariana?" Alexis walked back into the previously locked room. "I brought you some food. Are you okay?"

She was sitting on the bed as she looked at her new friend and nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay."

"How old are you?"

"Um..." Ariana looked uncertain. "I feel seven, but... I know I can't be anymore. I think..."

"You look around sixteen," Alexis tried to help.

"Oh," she said. "How long have I been here...?"

"I don't know," Alexis said quietly. "I've only been here a year myself. I'm sorry Ariana. I could call the doctor..."

"Don't," she said suddenly. "Lock the door when you leave."

"Why?"

"No one can know I'm awake," Ariana said. "For some reason, I think if I'm awake, something bad is going to happen, something ELSE is going to wake up. I'm sorry, but you have to lock me back in. There's someone I'm not supposed to meet."

"Calm down," Alexis said. "You need help. Let me help you."

"I can't," she said. "I can't wake up."

"Try," Alexis pleaded. "I'll go get the professor--"

"Alexis?" The Professor rolled in, followed by Doctor McCoy. "Please leave. Now."

"Oooo no," Ariana moaned, hiding her face in her hands.

"What are you going to do to her?" Alexis demanded.

"Please go, this is none of your concern," Dr. McCoy steered the small girl out of the room.

"Ariana," Alexis cried. "What's he going to do?!"

"I'm sorry my dear," the Professor touched Ariana's forehead.

Ariana grabbed the Professor's wrist. "It's too late," she said, in a voice so completely different than the soft voice she had used before. Her blue eyes darkened to red. "You're too late, old man."

Xavier pulled away. "Where did it awaken?"

"You'll see, in time," the unnatural voice said. "It's closer than you think." Ariana gasped as her eyes turned blue again. "Uhn..."

"Ariana," Xavier said. "Where is it?"

"I... don't know..." she shook her head. "But it's out now."

"Then I pray we won't find it too late," Xavier said, rolling out. "Henry, take care of the girl."

"What's going on?" Alexis said softly, clutching at Hank's arm.

"I hope it's nothing you need to worry about," Hank said, patting her head and going into Ariana's room. Alexis watched until the door was closed.

"I hope so to," she whispered, running off.

NEXT: Time


	4. Time Part One: Legacy

Disclaimer: I do not own the X-men

Episode 4: Time Part One, Legacy

Time is relative, Jonah thought. It must be.

Sitting alone in his room, he fiddled with the rim of his hat in his lap. The stitches in the side brought back the memory of his mother on the front porch, rocking back and forth with her sewing, while he and James ran around playing cowboy. He had memories of waiting for Pa to come home for dinner. Memories of learning to rope a wild mustang. James was always better at that. Sighing, he picked a piece of lint off of his shirt.

He stood up and walked to the window, putting his hat on the dresser. "Must be dinner time," he said to himself, closing the curtains and heading out.

What he didn't know was that the room wasn't empty.

"Perfect," the girl said, stepping out of the shadows. "Ow, watch it, Eury."

"Sorry," the blond boy mumbled, following her into the middle of the room. "Are you sure about this, Kennedy?"

"Yeah," she said, grabbing the hat off of the dresser and putting it on her head. "And look, it even fits me. I can't believe he just left it there like that."

"He doesn't know you're here," Eury said, looking around. "And I'd like to keep it that way. I'd lose my time license dragging you guys around."

"You have a license for what you do?" Kennedy laughed. "Alright, get us out of here."

He grabbed her arm and the two disappeared in a flash of brilliant golden light, Jonah's hat still sitting on Kennedy's head.

...

Johnny sat at the table and pushed his red glasses up his nose.

"Take those off," Eevee said, the only other person in the room so far. "You can't where sunglasses at the dinner table."

"They aren't sunglasses," he said. "They're a tribute."

"Tribute," little Nathan cried, running into the room and pulling himself into a chair. "Tribute, tribute tribute."

"That's right, a tribute," Johnny said.

"Where's your mum, silly," Eevee asked, picking Nathan up.

"I vas chased by Karl," he said. "Running all down the hallway, and I falled."

"I see that. Does that scrape hurt?"

"Nein," he said. "Not very much."

"What did you do today, Nathan?"

"Miss Kitty took me and Karl to the park," he said. "Ve met a boy there that looked funny, vearing all these jackets, he vas bigger than me, but smaller than Karl."

"Okay," she said, looking at the door as Jonah walked in. "Hey Jonah."

"Hey," he said, sitting down and putting a pill bottle on the table. "Did you see these yet? God, ah know ah am not crazy and STILL ah gotta take these."

"Oh, Jonah," Eevee sighed and sat down, putting Nathan back in his chair. "It'll sort itself out, don't worry about it."

"Sort itself out?" Jonah said. "Growin' up where ah did, ah learned NOTHIN' sorts itself out."

Jasmine walked in, followed closely by a nervous looking Lorelai. "Look who I found skulking in Nico's room," Jasmine smirked.

"Oh, come on." Lory sat down next to Eevee and grabbed a plate. "Stop pickin' on meh, we were just studyin'."

"Yeah, cause what ELSE could you guys do," snickered Johnny.

"Shut up, pea brain," Lory snapped.

"Woah," Jonah put a hand on her covered shoulder. "Calm down there, it was a joke."

"Ah know," she said, sighing. "Sorry Johnny."

"That's fine," Johnny said nervously, afraid to say anything else.

Jonah touched his head and stood up. "Uh-oh," he said, leaving.

"Where's he going?" Johnny asked, leaning over the table and stealing Jonah's red bandanna, which he had removed before sitting down.

"To get his stupid hat," Jasmine laughed.

They listened as Jonah climbed up the stairs and opened his door. For a few moments, they didn't hear anything else.

"Is he...?" Johnny said softly. Then they heard him running back down the stairs.

"Mah hat," he shouted, pushing the dining room door open. "Mah hat, where is it? Johnny?"

"Why would I know?" Johnny said. "I don't even know where I put my own hat."

"Where is it, you punk," Jonah growled, pointing at him.

"Hey," Eevee said, standing up. "He's been sitting here this whole time, calm down, Jonah."

"He could have taken it, he's fast enough." Jonah sounded more and more convinced of Johnny's guilt by the second.

"True," Johnny said, looking a little startled. "But I didn't."

"Ah left it right on mah dresser when ah left the room and now it ain't there," Jonah said angrily. "Now where is it?"

"It's just a hat Jonah," Jasmine said.

Jonah turned to face her, eyes burning. "It ain't JUST A HAT," he said, storming out.

"Uhm, woah," Lorelai said, breaking the few moments of silence that followed the slamming of the door.

...

Kennedy and Eury walked into the small abandoned warehouse that was their current hideout. It stood on the outskirts of Bayville, away from prying eyes. The rest of their group looked up, each one waving in turn.

The first stood, a tall girl with long silver hair and blue eyes. She was Anya, the lost daughter of Kish and Dominique, the first child that sadly died. "Kennedy, Eury," Anya said. "You're back already. Did you get your heirloom?"

"Yup, here it is," she said, pulling off the hat. "My dad's hat. Cool, right?"

Nathan Darkholme, an older, darker Nathan, dressed forever in his dark clothing and forever wearing a mask over his face, grunted as he continued to write. "Yeah, cool for the dark ages," the sixteen-year-old said.

"Nathan, be civil," Anya laughed.

"You're not my mother," he mumbled.

"No, I'm your sister," she said, closing his notebook and pulling him to his feet. "The others are back."

The third was a small boy of around six, standing up and running to hug Kennedy. This was a small Kish, still young, still innocent, still scar free. "Kish-oo," she laughed. "It's nice to see you too."

"Kish-oo, wash up," Anya said, pushing him out of the main room.

"I forgive your treachery," he squeaked, brushing himself off as he left.

"Now ve get my sword, right?" Nathan said. "My father's sword?"

"Yeah," Eury said. "Yeah, we do that."

"And vhile ve do that," Nathan added darkly, under his breath, too low for anyone else to hear. "I get my _father,_ too."

NEXT: Part two, the Assassin


	5. Time Part Two: The Assassin

Disclaimer: I do not own the X-men

Episode 5: Time Part Two, The Assassin

When you have to resort to sneaking around in the shadows, wearing all black and hiding your face with a mask, there has to be something wrong with your mind.

The future Nathan Darkholme knew there was something wrong with him. It was more like a some_one_, really, a personal vendetta that he couldn't quite shake. Someone he loved had been hurt by someone else he loved, and that was hard to forgive.

The day was fresh and clear in his mind, as a matter of fact he never stopped thinking about the night his father had come home early. He remembered how she laughed at his poor attempt to make dinner and how she had so appreciated the candle he had thoughtfully lit. It had been a nice day all around and it had been shaping up to be a pretty good evening.

His sensitive ears had picked up the sound of a car door being slammed. He remembered knowing that it was his father's car by hearing the way the key had fit into the lock on the door. He picked up the sounds of tension, anger, and he looked at her, knowing she wasn't supposed to be there. "He's home early," he had said. "Um, get up the stairs, go to my room. Hurry!"

To know by the very sound of his footsteps that he was extremely upset was a gift Nathan had acquired from his father. He knew what he was in for when the front door had opened and Kish had stepped in, fists already clenched.

To let the beating happen was the lesser of two evils, he had chanted to himself, soundlessly letting the fists hit him in a flurry of rage and pent up frustration. This was the way it always had been. Father comes home. Father is angry. Child takes the heat.

There was a blow to the face. That's going to be hard to hide from Maman, he remembered thinking. Good thing I have no friends at school, she'll think it was a bully.

But something was wrong, he had thought. Father wasn't stopping. The blows to the face were getting rougher. He felt a tooth fly from his mouth, and he let out a small groan as he dropped to his knees. Those blows would leave scars, scars for life.

Then something had happened, a sound he would probably dream about for the rest of his life. She came down the stairs, yelling for him to stop. She had reached his father, had grabbed his arm, was crying, shrieking. "Stop it!"

The next thing Nathan had been aware of was the sickening crack that followed. She had been tossed aside with the strength of a man in rage, and he probably hadn't even realized what he had done. He swung again, but Nathan had gone, run to her, pushing aside the pieces of the glass coffee table and lifting her head into his lap.

Nathan closed his eyes, remembering, boiling, wanting to see her and knowing that the only image of her that wasn't shattered forever was a tear-stained face over a pool of blood.

He had gone insane, and that was okay with him.

...

"Kish," Dom said softly, rolling over and nudging him. "I heard something, I think Nathan's awake."

"Then go put him back to bed," he grumbled, knowing he was going to lose anyway. It was always his job to put the four year old back in bed.

"You know I am not getting up."

Kish groaned and dragged himself out of bed, pulling his shirt on as he walked out into the hallway. "Nathan," he whispered. "Nathan, where are you, go to bed."

He listened for a moment for the tiny patter of running feet but he heard nothing. Dom must be hearing things, he thought, heading back towards his room.

Before he could take another step, a sword, HIS sword was at his neck. "Don't move a hair," said the slightly accented voice. "You can't hurt her if you're not there."

...

"What's taking him so long, he must have gotten the sword by now," Eury grumbled, leaning against the gate. "He knows we can't hang around forever and a day, right Anya?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "At least, I think he knows. He's weird sometimes."

Kish-oo whined. "Anyaaaa, I'm bored."

"Of course you are," Kennedy mumbled. "Always gotta be entertained, dontcha."

"I wanted to go inside with Nathan," Kish-oo said, tugging on Eury's shirt. "I wanted to go help get the sword."

"Somehow I don't think it would have been wise to let you go in there," Eury said softly to himself, looking up at the window where Nathan had crept in. Someone in the mansion could wake up at any time and bust them. "Hurry, Nathan," he muttered.

...

"I don't know any Caitlyn," Kish said. "Will you let me go? I don't even know who you are."

"You don't know my voice?" Nathan growled. "I hear yours venever I close my eyes."

Kish squinted. "N-Nathan?"

"You guessed," he said. "I have to kill you now."

"Don't," he said. "Oh no, please don't, I have--"

"A kid, I know," Nathan smirked. "A kid who you drove to insanity, a kid whose soul you destroyed. I vonder if you bleed."

A bead of red trailed down his neck as Nathan pressed a little harder with the sword. "You just want the sword? Go ahead, you can have it."

"I don't just vant the sword," Nathan said, a little too loudly. "I vant you gone, vanished, dead!"

"Get away from him," Dominique shouted as she spotted them. "Get away from Kish!"

"Maman," Nathan whispered, stepping away, pulling the sword back. He hadn't seen her in years. He felt his chest tighten.

"Who are you?!" she screamed, her fists clenching and purple orbs appearing over them. "Don't you touch him!"

"Maman," he said. "It's... it's me."

"Who," She stopped. "Nathan?"

He pulled off the mask and looked up. The scars covered up most of his face, dark and bruised but mostly recognizable.

"Nathan," she said. "What... but this is impossible. You're... young. You're..."

"I know it's confusing," he said. "I'm sorry it has to be this vay. I have to kill him."

"I--" Dom shook her head. "I won't let you!"

"What the Hell is going on?" Ben said, running into the hall. Jonah stepped out of his room, holding his gun, and Jasmine stepped out of hers.

"Uh Oh," Nathan mumbled. "Um, Eury dude?"

"What?" Eury shouted through the comlink.

"I think we have a problem, Houston."

NEXT: The Portal


	6. Time Part Three: The Portal

Disclaimer: I do not own the X-men

Episode 6: Time Part Three, The Portal

_Previously, on NeXt Gen:  
_

_"I don't just vant the sword," Nathan said, a little too loudly. "I vant you gone, vanished, dead!"_

_"Get away from him," Dominique shouted as she spotted them. "Get away from Kish!"_

_"Maman," Nathan whispered, stepping away, pulling the sword back. He hadn't seen her in years. He felt his chest tighten._

_"Who are you?!" she screamed, her fists clenching and purple orbs appearing over them. "Don't you touch him!"_

_"Maman," he said. "It's... it's me."_

_"Who," She stopped. "Nathan?"_

_He pulled off the mask and looked up. The scars covered up most of his face, dark and bruised but mostly recognizable._

_"Nathan," she said. "What... but this is impossible. You're... young. You're..."_

_"I know it's confusing," he said. "I'm sorry it has to be this vay. I have to kill him."_

_"I--" Dom shook her head. "I won't let you!"_

_"What the Hell is going on?" Ben said, running into the hall. Jonah stepped out of his room, holding his gun, and Jasmine stepped out of hers._

_"Uh Oh," Nathan mumbled. "Um, Eury dude?"_

_"What?" Eury shouted through the comlink._

_"I think we have a problem, Houston."_

...

"I think we have a problem, Houston."

"I swear, I won't let you kill him!" Dominique screamed shakily. "Don't do this, Nathan."

"I have to, don't you understand?" he yelled back. "Maman, he has to be stopped now before it's too late! Too late for me, too late for her!"

"I don't know what the Hell you're talking about," Kish cried, trying to pull away. Nathan only pressed down harder with the sword, causing another bead of blood to emerge. "Nathan, let go of me!"

"I von't," he said. "I can't, if only to save her I can't."

"Just talk to me, petit," Dominique begged, taking a step closer hesitantly.

"Don't move," Nathan threatened, backing away, dragging Kish with him.

"Would someone explain what's going on?" Ben shouted.

"Listen, we all want to kill Mr. Darkholme," Jasmine said. "Get in line, kid, okay?"

"Shh," Jonah said, putting a hand on her arm and stepping forward. "Drop the sword, kid. Ah mean it. Ah will shoot at yeh, don't think ah won't."

"I suggest you put the gun away," Nathan said, eyes narrowing. "I can slit his throat and be out of here before you can pull that trigger."

"Then do it," Jonah said, calling his bluff. "Why don't yeh just kill him and get out of here? Apparently, none of us can stop yeh."

"Jonah," Jasmine hissed. "What the Hell are you doing?"

"Ah got this," he whispered back. "What's the matter? Can't do it?"

Nathan growled and tightened his grip on the sword. "I... I can, vatch me."

"We're watchin'," Jonah said. "But ah ain't seein'."

"I've been killing for hire for five years," he shouted at him. "Don't underestimate me. I don't mind killing people."

"But ah don't see yeh killin' anybody." Jonah held out his hand. "Give meh the sword, and we can talk this out, okay Nathan?"

Nathan looked at Dominique, then back at Jonah, still standing with his hand outstretched and his gun at his side. Thinking over his options quickly, he let go of Kish, pushing him away and quickly slashing forward at Jonah. He cut a deep gash from his right shoulder to his left rib cage, and blood immediately began to pour out.

"Jonah!" Jasmine screamed, running to him as he collapsed. "Jonah... are you okay?"

"Aww, and ah thought yeh didn' care," he said, smiling weakly. "Ahm... fine. Git the kid."

She nodded and looked up as Nathan made a run for it. Standing, she bolted after him, tackling himn to the ground as Ben approached with a few rods of steel hovering in front of him. Ben used his powers to wrap the metal around Nathan, blocking movement.

"We have you," Ben said. "Now, explain."

"I came here to get my birthright and kill that murderer," Nathan said, looking at Kish. Kish rubbed his neck, shaking his head.

"But... I'm not a murderer."

"Yet," Nathan spat. "You killed her, like she vas nothing, you didn't even know you did it until I hit you back."

"Hit him back, what is he talking about?" Dominique said, looking at Nathan, then at Kish.

"I don't know," Kish said. "I really don't know what he's talking about."

"Let's say he was a murderer," Ben said. "If you kill him, what does that make you?"

"Step away from him," shouted someone from down the hall. Kennedy had arrived first, adjusting the cowboy hat on her head and preparing her gun.

"Mah hat," Jonah murmured, turning his head.

Jasmine leaped at her, throwing her to the ground and grabbing the hat off of her head. "This isn't yours," she growled.

"It is mine," she retorted hotly. "My birthright."

"What is all this with birthrights?" Ben asked, looking at the sword that Kish had just picked up. "Nathan thinks Mr. Darkholme's sword is his birthright."

"So why is this hers?" Jasmine said, standing, hat in her hands.

"Isn't it obvious?" Ben laughed. "It all makes sense. This girl is Jonah's daughter."

"What?" Jonah said, trying to sit up.

"Kennedy," another girl cried, running up the stairs. Anya's silver hair stood out in the darkness, giving off a faint glow.

"Anya," Kennedy called back. "Get these creeps away from me!"

"Anya?" Kish said, backing up.

Dominique shook her head. "No, no, you can't be Anya."

"Mom, don't make this hard, okay?" she said, running over and helping Kennedy to her feet. "Just let us go, we'll leave and that'll be the end of it."

"Anya is dead, she died when she was four," Kish shouted. "So you can't be her."

"The thing is, I am," she said sheepishly, shrugging. "Let my brother go and we'll be on our way."

"Okay, I am officially confused," Ben said.

"Prepare to be even more confused, Benny boy," Jasmine said, looking at the stairs. "There's a couple of more people coming."

"Eury and Kish-oo," Nathan murmured.

"Kish-oo?" Kish said. "That's what Remy and John used to call me, when I was really little."

"I have a headache," Ben said.

Eury and Kish-oo made it up the stairs. The blond boy ran to Nathan and knelt next to him. "Stupid Nathan, now look what you did. I'm gonna lose my license."

"License for what?" Jasmine asked.

"For time-hopping, okay?" he shouted. "Damn, I knew I should have sent Anya in with you, you little screw up."

"Stop whining and help me," Nathan said angrily.

Kish-oo ran to Anya and grabbed her shirt. "Anyakin, that man is bleeding."

"I know," she said, hugging him as he buried his face in her jacket. "I know, Kish-oo. We'll leave soon and get Happy Meals, okay?"

"Can we just go?" Eury said, standing up. "Just let us leave."

"Not until we have answers," Ben said.

"And yeh ain't leavin with mah hat," Jonah said, finally gaining the strength to stand up. Jasmine rushed to his side, using her sleeve to press on his wound.

"You want answers?" Eury rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'm Eury, that's short for Eureka, got that? I'm a Garstrian, yes that's an alien, with a license to time-hop. That's what I do for fun, see? And these kids are people I picked up from doomed realities. I promised them each a birthright, an heirloom from their parents."

"And who are these kids?" Jasmine turned to look at them, still pressing hard on Jonah's chest, trying to slow the bleeding.

"Anya Darkholme," Eury said. "I saved her from one timeline before she died, taking her to a future that could cure her of her illnesses. She's been traveling with me ever since then. I picked up Nathan Darkholme when he got trapped in the In-Between."

"What's that?" Kish asked.

"It's vhere I go vhen I shadow port," Nathan spoke up. "The In-Between is a dimension. You go through it vhen you teleport, and Eury goes through it vhen he time-hops."

"Nathan got stuck in there a few years back," Anya explained. "He couldn't find the window he came through."

"I got a hold of Kish-oo here by accident," he said. "He spotted us and grabbed on when we hopped. I can't figure out where he comes from, and he won't tell me, so I can't put him back."

Kish-oo giggled. "Time-hopping is loads more fun than sitting in the dome."

"Yeah, loads," Eury muttered. "And Kennedy I picked up when her reality's institute was blown up, killing her parents, Jonah and Jasmine Danger."

"What?!" Jasmine shouted.

"Huh?" Jonah whispered, nearly toppling over in pain. Jasmine grabbed his arm and steadied him.

"That's it, that's everything," Eury said. "Now let us go."

"Wait," Jonah said hoarsely, pushing Jasmine off of him. "You're a time traveler."

"Yeah, so?" Eury said. "That is the basic point of this conversation."

"So you can send meh home," Jonah said, stepping forward. "Can't yeh?"

"Home?" Eury said. He suddenly snapped his fingers. "Of course! You're the one everyone's been talking about, the kid who stepped on a lay-line and fell through."

"What?" Ben looked at Jonah. "I don't believe it."

"He's been telling the truth," Jasmine said slowly. "He's not crazy."

"1885, right?" Eury said. "Sure I can send you home. Right now, if you want."

Jonah's eyes brightened, glittering with tears. "Ah'd like that."

Eury stepped to the side and a hole in space appeared next to him, swirling with a violet blue light. It opened and widened steadily, until the people in the hallway could clearly see hazy visions of a time long gone. Jonah watched as a wagon crossed a dusty road, and a home appeared, out in the middle of nowhere, horses running on the fields.

"Home," he whispered. "That's home."

They saw a woman on the porch, knitting as she rocked back and forth, and a teenage girl sitting on the ground beside her, holding a jar with a butterfly inside.

"Ma, and May, and Pa must be out with James ropin' mustangs," Jonah said. "Without meh."

A horse appeared, a pretty black one with a lighting shape on its flank, and Jonah burst into tears. "Lightnin'," he said. "Send me back, please, let me through."

"Go on whenever you want," Eury said. "You can go home now."

Jonah stepped forward, and he had one foot through when Jasmine screamed. "Jonah, no!"

He turned his head to look at her. "Ahm so close, Jasmine," he said. "Ah can feel it. Ahm goin' home."

"But you're leaving me," she said. "You can't."

"We need you here," Ben said. "I need you here."

Jonah stared at them, then looked back at the portal, at his home, at his time. Jasmine ran forward and touched his arm, then hugged it, sobbing. "Don't leave me, Jonah. I... think I love you."

He looked at her, then at Eury. "Make a decision already," Eury snapped. "I can't keep this thing up forever."

"Ah..." he said, looking at Jasmine again. "Ah... can come back sometime, right Eury?"

"Whenever you want," he said. "Spend a few months home, then call me. I'll drop you off here. If I don't lose my license."

"If you want to go," Ben said sadly. "Go. We'll all miss you."

He nodded and touched Jasmine's hair. "Ahll come back," he said. "Jus' let meh go for a little while. Ahll come back for yeh."

She wiped her eyes and backed away. "Good... good bye."

"Jasmine," he said before stepping through. "Ah love you. Ahll come back, ah promise."

As he walked into the portal, the gate shuddered and fell, Eury dropping to his knees as it disappeared completely. "Man, I hate long goodbyes."

"Bye," Ben said softly. "Jonah Danger."

NEXT: Cosmic Shift


	7. Cosmic Shift

Disclaimer: I do not own the X-men

Episode 7: Cosmic Shift

Ben yawned as he sat up. He was confused for a moment, wondering if he had really fallen asleep for the first time since he was six years old. He felt around blindly for his glasses and put them on, blinking in the darkness of his room.

Getting up and opening the curtains, the sunlight streamed onto his face, making him close his eyes tightly. How long had he been asleep? Glancing at his clock, he saw that it was close to eight in the morning. Shaking his head, he silently scolded himself and pulled on his jacket, opening his door and stepping out into the hall.

He stared at the spot where the portal had been. He had seen Jonah for the last time in that spot, and he had watched him go, step into the thing and disappear from his life. He shook his head again, wondering why he didn't stop Jonah from leaving.

He was slightly startled as a tall, silver-haired man in a bathrobe walked past him, brushing his teeth as he went. "'scuse me, Ben," the man said.

"No problem," Ben replied, almost disregarding it, then his eyes widened and he whipped his head around to stare at him. "M-Magneto?!"

The man turned to look at him, and he was indeed Magneto, blue eyes surprised by this sudden outburst. "What's wrong?" he asked, pulling the toothbrush out of his mouth and standing up strait. "Ben, are you alright?"

Ben's fists were clenched at his sides, fingernails digging into his skin. Paling slightly, Ben nodded. "I'm fine," he said.

"Are you sure?"

Ben nodded again, then watched Magneto continue down the hallway, whistling as he went.

Blinking in total confusion, Ben went back into his room and closed the door. "This has gotta be some weird dream," he told himself. "Get a grip, Ben. Breathe. Okay. Let's try this again."

He opened his door again and stepped into the hallway a second time. Again, Magneto was walking down the hall, this time in the opposite direction, toweling off his hair. Ben watched him until he snapped.

"What are you doing here?!"

Magneto looked at him. "I'm sorry? Oh, you mean why am I using the second floor bathroom? The third floor shower is broken. I'm having Forge and Wartech fix it for me."

"But there is no third floor," he muttered as Magneto walked away. "And Tyler is dead."

Ben went towards the elevator, and he nearly walked directly into the wall where the elevator door should be. He stared at the painting questioningly, looking around for the elevator. When he realized there wasn't one, he grimaced. "Shit," he said. "How am I supposed to get downstairs without the elevator?"

"With the stairs," Jasmine said, walking over to him. "Do you have any idea what's going on?"

"Jasmine," Ben sighed, hugging her. "Thank God. I'm not the only one."

"The only one what?"

"Who knows there is no third floor, and that there's supposed to be an elevator, and Magneto doesn't live here." He looked around. "Something changed overnight. Something huge. We have to talk to the Professor."

"I went to his office," Jasmine said. "But the door was locked."

"I'll talk to him," Ben said, closing his eyes and reaching out telepathically. _Professor? Professor, where are you, what's going on?_

He opened his eyes. "He won't answer. I can't even sense him in the building or anywhere near here."

"We have to go downstairs."

Ben paled. "Jasmine, I... I can't." He looked at the staircase and shivered. "I can't get on those stairs."

"Why not?" she asked. "It's okay, they're not going to bite."

He scowled at her. "I know they aren't going to bite, Jasmine. I just.. I have stair issues."

She rolled her eyes. "You can hold my hand while we go down, you big baby."

He nodded, grabbing her arm as she took a step down. By the third step, Ben had buried his face in her shoulder and was hugging her arm tightly, unaware that he was whimpering. "What's your problem?" Jasmine said as they reached the first floor landing. "We're at the bottom."

He let go and pushed away, breathing hard. "I did it," he said. "I went down the stairs."

"Good for you," she said, sighing and rolling her eyes again. "Now check Magneto's mind. Maybe he did something to the Professor."

Ben nodded and pressed into his enemy's mind, digging around for information on the Professor, and stepped back when he found out where he was. "No," he said. "Oh God no."

"What is it?" she said. "Ben? What's wrong, what do you see?"

Ben looked at her, then ran out the front door. "I'll be right back."

Jasmine ran after him. "Ben, wait! What is it?"

Ben came to a skidding halt as he passed a few gravestones, the graves of Amanda Sefton and Scott Summers. He took a step towards the largest gravestone, placed where Tyler's stone originally was.

"Ben?" Jasmine said shakily, putting a hand on his shoulder as she reached him. "What is it?"

"Fuck," he said. "No, this can't be right, this is impossible."

"Ben, tell me," she said.

He dropped to his knees and screamed, tears streaming down his cheeks as he pounded his fists into the ground.

She looked away from him and at the gravestone, reading the intricately carved inscription.

_Charles Xavier_

_Student, teacher, and friend, we will always remember this brave, beautiful human being._

NEXT: What Happened to Jonah


	8. What Happened to Jonah

Disclaimer: I do not own the X-men

Episode 8: What Happened to Jonah

"We have to figure this out, Ben." Jasmine said, sitting across the table from the grieving boy in the kitchen. "This won't happen if we figure it out and fix it."

"I can't even think strait," he said, looking up at her and pulling at his hair. "I need him. He blocked everything out of my mind and now he's not here."

"So how do you feel?"

"Like a telephone wire," he said. "Everything is passing through me faster than I can hear it, so it's like static. It hurts."

"We'll fix this," she said. "I promise we'll fix this."

Johnny walked in. "Hey," he said. "Mr. Lensherr said we're supposed to be in the danger room." He adjusted the red shades on his nose and sat down. "These things are too big for me."

"Johnny?" Ben asked, sitting up and staring at him. "Did you just say Mr. Lensherr?"

"Yeah," he said. "Are you okay this morning? He said you were acting weird."

"I'M acting weird?" he stood up angrily.

At that moment, Lory and Nico entered the room, giggling and holding hands. "Hey Ben," Nico said. "Aren't you and the rest of Alpha supposed to be in the DR?"

Jasmine stared at Lory's hand entwined with Nico's. The girl was not wearing a glove of any kind. "Lorelai," she said. "You're touching Nico."

"Ah know," she said. "Nico got a pill from Dr. McCoy yesterday. He can touch me as much as he wants!"

"I must say it is an improvement," Nico said, brushing her hair out of her face.

"If you two are gonna be mushy, do it outside of my presence," Johnny scowled. "God, ever since I broke up with Eevee the sight of happiness sickens me."

Ben backed away. "You and Eevee?!"

"That is messed up," Jasmine said, standing and grabbing Ben's hand. "Come on, we're fixing this now."

...

"Johnny and Eevee?" Ben said, sitting at a table across from Jasmine. The Bayville library's eighteen hundreds section was nearly empty, and the stack of books they had picked up were promising. "Eevee and Johnny?"

"You're grossing me out, Wyndgarde," she said. "Here. You look through this stack."

"I can't believe they even considered going out," he said. "I can't believe the notion even popped into their minds."

"Shut up and read, four eyes," she said loudly, opening a book to the index. "Look at all these losers who had nothing better to do than to throw ropes at animals."

"Do you think Jonah would be listed somewhere?" he asked, opening another book.

"If he did something big enough to cause all this, definitely," she said. "We just have to find him in one of these books. He had to have done something."

"Something big enough to cause Johnny and Eevee to go out," Ben shivered. "Ehhh."

"Shut up," she said. "You're getting on my nerves."

"Wait," he said, turning a page and pushing up his glasses. "Look at this."

"Mutant activity?" she said, looking it over. "In the eighteen hundreds?"

"We're looking in the wrong books," he said, snapping it shut and gathering the rest of the books into his arms. "I'll be right back."

He disappeared into the mutant history section, which wasn't supposed to be so large, and came back with three books. "Look at this."

"The Vigilantes?" she said, reading the page quickly. "What is this?"

"The first mutant team," he said. "For some reason, mutants aren't hated or feared in this place. This is why. Someone started a crime fighting team known as the Vigilantes in 1886, made up almost entirely by mutants."

"Who did that? That seriously messed everything up," she said, reaching out for the book.

Ben turned the page and his glasses glinted. "Oh no."

"What? Let me see."

He passed the book over. It was a picture of six teenagers, arms linked, and a dog at their feet, tongue lolling happily. Jonah was in the middle, red bandanna as always covering the bottom half of his face, but she could tell he was grinning.

"Jonah did this?" she asked. "He started a team?"

"I guess he missed fighting crime," Ben said. "But you see the result."

"Jonah," she said, touching the picture. "Does it say what happened to them?"

Ben took the book and flipped through it. "Oh, Jasmine," he said, cringing. "Um..."

"Let me see," she demanded.

"I don't think you want to know."

She grabbed the book and read. Ben watched the page instead of her face, not wanting to see her reaction. A few moments later, a tear drop hit the words on the yellowing paper.

"J-Jonah Danger and his Vigilantes, hung for disruption of the peace and breaking the law, treason, and running from the officials," she read out loud. "Buried without gravestones under the place where they were executed."

"We have to find Eury," Ben said. "We have to fix this."

She nodded and stood. "I can't let this happen," she said. "I'll die before I let this happen."

Ben watched her walk away, closing the book. He knew she loved him. Shaking his head, he stood and followed her.

NEXT: 1885!


	9. 1885

Disclaimer: I do not own the X-men

Episode 9: 1885

"And how exactly are we going to find Eury? He's a time traveler, Jasmine. He could be pretty much anywhere." Ben followed her to the car. "Or, um, any_when_."

"We have to find him," she said. "Because if Jonah dies in the past, I want him back here where he's safe."

"I'm not disagreeing with you," Ben said. "I just... it doesn't seem likely that we're going to find those time people. They could have left already."

"Want to bet?" she smirked, pointing across the street. Kish-oo was running out of a candy store, followed closely by Anya. "We just follow them and we'll find Eury."

Ben sighed and got into the passenger seat. There was no arguing now. Even if he felt that all of this was an intensely bad idea, Jasmine was set in her plans to rescue Jonah. He didn't know her well, but he knew her well enough to know that she wasn't going to budge on the issue.

She followed them closely, not letting them out of her sight. Kish-oo was incredibly bouncy and hyper for a person who would grow up to be a schizo, Ben remarked dryly to himself. He looked at Jasmine and saw a spark of fierce determination in her eyes, and he quickly looked away. Maybe it was a bad idea, but this was good for Jasmine. It gave her something to do.

The spark in her eye also made her increasingly pretty.

"They're going into that warehouse," she said suddenly, turning sharply and stopping the car. Ben sat back and grabbed the sides of his seat.

"Warn people at all?" he asked, getting out. "Ever?"

"Be quiet and come on," she ordered, grabbing his arm tightly and dragging him into the warehouse.

"Maybe we should..." Ben stopped and looked at the group of time travelers staring at them. "...knock."

"Eury, you have to send us to 1885," Jasmine demanded, walking over and grabbing the front of his shirt.

"Please," Ben added for her.

"Woah," Eury said. "If you want something, I can give it to you. But let me down, alright?"

Jasmine let him down with a growl. "Help us. Now."

"Okay, alright already," Eury said. "1885 right? That's what you want?"

"Yes," Ben said. "Hurry please. I think Jonah screwed up the time line."

"Well, if you go back, won't that muck up the works more?" Anya said, taking Kish-oo's candy away.

"I would assume so," said Nathan. "Why should we send you back in time?"

"Jonah is going to die, and you're going to help us," Jasmine shouted. "Or you're joining him."

Kish-oo shivered. "Scary lady."

"It's okay Kish-oo," Kennedy said, hugging him and standing. "Alright, you're my mother, right?"

"Yes," Jasmine said.

"And you're supposed to have me with my dad."

"Yes."

"Who is currently in 1885, not here."

Jasmine scoffed. "We already know all of this. Get to your point already."

"Well then, we have to send them back Eury," Kennedy said. "If I'm gonna be born in this time line, then he has to be here."

"Reasonably so," Eury agreed, nodding and stroking his chin. "I guess you're right."

"Hurry up," Ben said. "I'm getting a headache and my telepathic protector is dead in this time line."

Eury opened a small portal in the wall. "Go on," he said. "California, 1885."

Ben took Jasmine's arm before she could jump in. "Are you sure about this?"

She nodded, eyes blazing. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life, Ben. Please, come with me. If you don't want to that's okay, but I don't think I can do this on my own."

Part of Ben was startled. _She needs me,_ that part of him said. _That's a good thing. A good step._

_But she needs you to help her get Jonah back,_ the other part of him said. _That's a bad step._

He shook his head. "I'll go," he said. "Jonah's my friend and he needs my help."

Jasmine smiled and they stepped through together. Ben was starting to doubt his action just as the portal closed behind him.

_"When you're ready to come back, come to this exact spot and call me,"_ They heard Eury's voice echo. _"I'll pick you guys up."_

"That's probably what he told Jonah," Jasmine said quietly. "I wonder why he never came back."

"I don't know," Ben said, looking at his T-shirt and jeans. "But I think we have a problem involving attire and lack of direction."

"Where are we?" She looked around and squinted into the distance. "I think that's a ranch over there."

"That's where we'll start," Ben said. "The way Jonah used to talk, everyone in Cal-ee-fornia knew who he was."

"Don't make fun of him," Jasmine snapped. "Just walk."

Ben watched her storm ahead, smiling slightly. She was prettier angry than not, but he knew the only reason she was angry was because she didn't know what to do. Ben usually had the same reaction to those kinds of feelings. She kicked up some dust and sent a small plant flying, roots and all. "Hey," he called. "Hey, stop that."

"Stop what?" she said harshly, whirling around. She watched as Ben rushed forward and grabbed the plant, putting it back into the ground and securing it with dirt.

"Don't kill it," Ben said. "It didn't do anything to you."

"What do plants feel anyway," she grumbled, looking slightly ashamed as she stuck her hands in her pockets.

"You have to learn that everything has a place," he said. "Even the small things."

She nodded as he stood up and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Now." he continued. "Let's find Jonah Danger."

NEXT: Jonah's Vigilantes!


	10. Jonah and his Vigilantes

Disclaimer: I do not own the X-men

Episode 10: Jonah's Vigilantes!

Jasmine walked into the small bar, looking around for Ben. She hated wearing the brown cloth dress the farmwoman had given her with a passion, but it was worth it to fit in a little. However, her hatred for the dress was matched by Ben's hatred of the hat he was to wear, one almost exactly like the one that was stolen from Jonah.

She spotted that hat and walked over to where Ben was sulking at a table, jabbing at bacon with a fork. "Ben," she said.

"What?" He said bitterly, finally managing to get the greasy thing attached to the metal. Once he had accomplished this, he suddenly realized that he didn't want to eat it after all. "Did you find anything?"

"I have one lead," she said, putting down an old photograph. "And that's it right there."

Ben took it and looked it over. "So this is why you look so sour." It was a picture of Jonah with his arm around a blond girl in a similar cowboy outfit, both laughing.

"Give that back," she snapped. "It's an awful picture of him anyway. It makes his face look ugly."

He laughed. "Come on, let's find that girl. I've seen her in here before."

"You have?" Jasmine looked hopeful.

"Yeah, she was talking to the bartender an hour ago. I scanned her mind and all I got was that her name was Joan and she worked with a bunch of kids."

"How old is she?" Jasmine watched him stand up. "Do you know?"

"Fifteen, maybe sixteen," he said. "Around our age."

"Alright, lets go then," she said. "I have to rip her eyes out."

"Isn't that a bit much for a picture?"

"I think it's just fine," Jasmine growled, dragging him out of the door. As cute as this dragging thing was, Ben thought, there is a line, and Jasmine was getting pretty close.

The streets were dusty and crowded in this small California town, and the only thing Ben wanted was his safe, empty, quiet room. There was the noise from the people and from their minds, and he couldn't close off without the Professor's help. He held onto Jasmine's arm so as not to lose her.

Jasmine immediately picked up the familiar scent of Jonah as a small boy passed them. She reached out and grabbed his shoulder, and the boy looked up. He couldn't have been older than eleven or twelve. Staring into her eyes, his shoulder suddenly passed through her hand and he ran.

"No," she shouted. "Get back here!" She ripped out of Ben's grasp and bolted after the boy. Ben, arm still outstretched, was lost.

"Jasmine?" he called. "Jasmine, wait!"

Moving out of the crowd and leaning against a wall, Ben suddenly realized that no matter how good he was at being a leader, he was pathetic alone.

...

Jasmine chased the boy through the streets, finally losing him in an ally. She sniffed at the air. The smells of both the boy and Jonah were strong here. He had come this way. But where did he go?

She followed both scents to the far wall, sniffing desperately, getting more and more exited as the smells got more powerful. Putting her hands against the wall, she pushed. She was surprised as the wall slid open, revealing a small doorway she could crawl through.

"Found you," she whispered.

The boy was now running down a dark hallway just beyond the secret door. She clambered through and chased him, reaching and almost catching him. Somehow he could slip through her grasp even when she had her hands on him.

"Jonah," the boy cried. "Intruder alert, Jonaaaaah."

She ran after him into a small round room, and she immediately locked eyes with Jonah Danger, standing up from the table at the far wall and pulling his revolver. He stared at her, and she was frozen only for a moment before launching at him and throwing her arms around him.

"I found you," she said again. "Jonah."

"Jazz?" He said softly. "Jasmine, what th' hell are yeh DOIN' here?"

"She sounds fancy," said the blond girl Joan.

Jasmine looked around at the others. There were four of them. Joan was one, along with the small boy she had chased. The other two were a red haired teenage girl in pigtails and a scruffy looking stable boy. All were wearing similar outfits to Jonah.

"Who is she, Joe?" The stable boy asked. "Ah ain't never seen her before."

"Jasmine," he said. "Ahd... like yeh to meet mah friends. The girl with the pigtails is Mary, and the stable boy is Mark. The boy you chased is Peter."

The small boy waved.

"And this..."

"I know," Jasmine snapped. "Joan, right?"

Joan nodded. "Right."

"You're coming home right now," Jasmine demanded, grabbing Jonah's arm. "It's not safe here, you're going to die."

"What? Jasmine, ah can't," he said loudly.

"Why not?"

"One of our teammates went missing," Mary said. "We have to find him before the sheriff does."

"The sheriff?" Jasmine asked incredulously. "Who the hell ARE you guys?"

"We're the Vigilantes," Mark said. "Welcome to our hidey-hole."

"Did you come here alone?" Jonah asked, looking at the doorway.

"No, I..." Jasmine looked too. "I thought Ben was right behind me..."

"Ben? Alone in a crowded place like out there?" Jonah pushed past her. "Ahll go get him. You stay here, alright? Ahll be back."

As the secret door closed behind him, Jasmine sat down, scowling. "That's what you said LAST time."

NEXT: Finding Forrest!


	11. Trust

Disclaimer: I do not own the X-men

Episode 11: Trust

Ben was still huddled against the wall, trying his best to block out the minds all around him. How much do eggs cost today? _Four cents._ Who took in the horses? _Jason._ Where's the best place to get a beer around here? _Try some other town._

He thought he heard himself cry out, but when he felt a hand on his shoulder he knew it had been someone else, calling his name. He glanced up and was face to face with Jonah, looking concerned and slightly out of breath.

"Ben," he said, putting a hand on his arm. "Yeh alright?"

He jumped up, suddenly oblivious to the telepathic barrage he was receiving, and swung his fist as hard as he could.

"What--" Jonah jumped back, rubbing his shoulder where Ben's fist had connected. "That hurt!"

"I hate you," Ben shouted at him. "You have everything in the world and you gotta screw up what I have!"

"What are you talkin' about, friend?" Jonah looked confused at Ben's sudden outburst of anger. Ben never displayed any of his emotions on such a large scale. "Ah don't understand."

"The future is all messed up," he said. "Xavier is dead, and that murderer is living in our house... Johnny and Eevee were dating..."

"What?" Jonah shook his head. "Hold on."

"That's right, Xavier's dead--"

"No, the part about Johnny and Eevee," Jonah said, squinting. "Are you serious? Go back a little."

"The important parts are flying right over your head, moron," Ben snapped angrily, shoving at Jonah's shoulder. "Xavier. Dead and buried. Magneto. In the house. You? For some reason I don't think having a team of mutants here is supposed to happen!"

"How do you know about the Vigilantes?"

"How do you _think_ I know?"

The two of them stared at each other, Ben's eyes burning. Jonah had never seen him this infuriated, this passionate about anything.

"What is this about, Ben?" Jonah folded his arms. "What's the real problem?"

Ben looked away. "It doesn't matter."

"It does."

"Just..." Ben shook his head in determination. "Just take me to that dump you call headquarters, okay? It's noisy out here."

...

"Ben," Jasmine said as the two came back into the base through the hole in the wall. "I can't believe you got lost."

"Kind of easy to get lost out there," Jonah defended him. "Just try and be quiet, everybody... Ben needs to focus for a sec."

Ben sat in a chair and held his head, groaning. "It's quieting down," he murmured. "I think I can re-establish my blocks now."

"Feel better?" Jonah asked.

"I won't feel better until you're back in our time where you belong," Jasmine said loudly.

"Ah was talkin' to Ben," Jonah said.

"No, she's right," Ben said. "You have to come back with us now. If you don't, you'll mess up the time stream and this will all be pointless."

"But ah told Jasmine, ah can't go back. We have to save Forrest."

"Probably not the only reason," Jasmine growled, looking at Joan, the immensely pretty blond that was leaning against the back wall.

"Okay, we need a plan," Mary said. "If you two are going to help us, help us. If not, get out."

"We'll help," Ben said. "If Jonah comes back with us once this Forrest guy is safe. And the rest of you have to disband once we're gone. The world is not ready for crime-fighting mutants."

Peter moped. "But ah like fighting bad guys."

"We all do," Mary said.

"Ah can't really imagin' usin' mah powers for anythin' else," Mark said. "Like last week, we saved a girl from a runaway carriage. That was fun."

"Trust me, I know how fun and fulfilling helping people with your gifts can be," Ben said. "But it has to stop now. If not, the future is wrong. You have to wait."

Mary thought about it for a moment. "I suppose you're right," she finally said. "We would have never started if it weren't for Jonah. He's the one who told us we could be more."

"Nice going," Jasmine said.

"Hey, ah was tryin' to help," Jonah defended.

"Enough," Ben said. "Just listen. I understand what you were trying to do, Jonah. But you can't. If you want to fight crime so much, come back with us."

Jonah nodded. "Alright. After we find Forrest."

"Jonah," Joan cried. "Don't." She ran forward and threw her arms around him. "Please don't leave me."

"Hey, back off," Jasmine stood up.

"Joan," Jonah said, pushing her off gently. "It's okay. I can come back if I want."

Jasmine scowled. That's exactly what he said to me, she thought. Ben gave her a glance that told her he had heard that thought.

_What are you doing digging around my head?_ She asked him.

_I wasn't, _He thought back. _You practically screamed it at me._

_What the Hell do you care, anyway?_

Ben frowned. _Jasmine... I..._

"Alright, are we going or what?" Peter said.

"We're going," Ben sighed. "Let's go."

...

"This is where we saw him last," Mark said, as they reached a small stable a little way out of town. "He went in, and he never came out. It's like he just disappeared."

"Same thing happened to me," said Jonah. "Ah went in and ah wasn't home anymore all of a sudden. Ah wanted to see what it was and before ah could warn him, Forrest ran in."

"There was this flash and then I couldn't sense him anymore," Mary said quietly.

"It sounds like..." Ben looked at Jonah. "It looks like he was catapulted to a different time, like you."

Jonah nodded. "Then we gotta shut this thing down somehow, before anyone else gets ripped out of their lives."

Jasmine bit her lip.

"So we call Eury," Ben said. "He'll know how to close it."

"Eury," Jonah called. "Ah don't think he can hear--"

"You rang?"

The group turned, and Eury was standing there, arms folded, smirking at them. "Looks like you guys found a major rip in the fabric of time. I guess you want me to close it up?"

Jonah nodded. "It's in there."

"I see it." Eury pulled out a pair of sunglasses and stepped forward, putting them on. "It's bright. Sometimes I forget you humans can't see it."

"Can you find Forrest?" Mary asked.

He squinted and pulled the sunglasses down. "I'm afraid he was thrown far into the past. He didn't make it."

Jonah hung his head.

"But I can close this," Eury said. "It will never happen again."

"Please," Jonah said.

Eury closed his eyes and held out his hands, seemingly concentrating hard. None of the others could see what he was doing.

"Are we sure he's sane?" Jasmine muttered into Ben's ear. Ben shuddered inwardly.

"We don't have any choice but to trust him," he whispered back.

There was suddenly a loud crash, like a thunderclap from inside the stable. The building erupted in light, shrank, and was suddenly swallowed, gone, nothing left but a smoking hole.

Jasmine had jumped in surprise and had thrown herself at Ben, who had instinctively hugged her. She pulled away as the noise died down, shivering. Ben turned away from her so she wouldn't see the expression he was sure he had on his face.

"Alright, it's gone." Eury turned to them. "Are you three ready to go home?"

"Jonah," Joan said softly, touching his arm. "Is this really what you want?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Ahm sorry."

She sighed and hugged him. "Ah understand. Goodbye."

Jasmine scowled as Jonah let go of her and walked to Ben. Jasmine joined them.

"Bye guys," Jonah waved. "Ahll try and come back sometime."

"Promise?" Joan said. Jasmine scoffed.

"Ah promise."

"Alright," Eury said. "This might feel a little weird."

Jasmine felt something tug on her feet and she was suddenly floating. She screamed and grabbed for something, anything, and ended up holding on to Jonah's arm. The next thing she knew, the three of them dropped onto the front lawn of the Xavier's institute.

Ben stood up quickly, looking at the small cemetery. He sighed in relief when he saw Xavier's grave was not there.

Jasmine had landed on top of Jonah, and she rolled off angrily. "God."

"What?" Jonah sat up.

Ben looked at the two of them hopefully.

"You pig, you ass, you... you MAN."

Jonah looked shocked. "Jasmine, what are you _talkin'_ about?"

"Don't try to deny it," she shouted. "You and Joan? I saw the way she looked at you! Don't think I didn't notice!"

Jonah stared at her, startled, then started laughing. Ben raised and eyebrow.

"What's so funny?" Jasmine shouted.

"Jazz," Jonah said, struggling to stop laughing. "You thought me an' _Joan_ were...?"

"And why is that funny?"

"Joan," Jonah said, wiping his eyes. "Joan is my _sister._"

Jasmine was silent for a moment, then suddenly dropped to her knees. Jonah got up and went to her. "Jasmine?"

"Oh," she said softly.

"Ah love you," he said. "Trust me."

She hugged him tightly. "I trust you."

NEXT: Johnny's Mom!


	12. The Cosmic Force

Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Men.

Chapter 12: The Cosmic Force

Johnny stormed into his room, slammed the door closed, and flopped onto his bed. His eyebrows were pulled close together and his teeth were bared in a snarl. "I can't BELIEVE you're doing this to me," he said, as though he were talking to someone in the same room with him. His mother could still hear with her mind, off in the kitchen.

_Young man, no is no. Next time you diobey me you're going to be a lot worse than grounded._

He groaned and kicked at the wall. "I can't be grounded right now mom. I just can't. Jonah just got back and--"

_I don't care, Johnathan. _

"Well, I care, and I wanted to go to the Danger Room with Jonah and Ben. Why don't _they_ have rules?"

She didn't answer, and Johnny was pretty sure he knew why. She had been furious when she found him training in the Danger Room at one in the morning, after he had asked her and she had said _absolutely not_ in a way only a mother could. She probably didn't want to keep fighting and lose her cool completely. He shrugged off his jacket and sighed. So much for a guy's night out.

Johnny had really missed Jonah for some reason. It wasn't the constant fighting he caused, or the silly way he dressed either. It was... he searched for a word. It wasn't the fact that Jasmine seemed a lot calmer nowadays, either. No, it was Jonah himself, and Johnny was confused. The smart-talking gun-slinging cowboy wannabe was actually someone to be missed. Whodathunkit.

He laughed at his new favorite word-- _whiodathunkit_-- and realized it had been Jonah who had said the stupid word in the first place.

He grabbed for his phone and dialed the extension to Ben's room. He needed his voice of reason, and he needed him now.

"Hi Ben," he said happily as Ben finally picked up on the seventh ring.

"Johnny? Listen, erm, can we not talk right now? I um... Yeah. Can we just--?"

"Ben, I need to talk to you about Jonah. He's getting on my nerves." Johnny completely ignored Ben's soft protests, and Ben sighed.

"Yeah, he's pissing me off too."

"He is?" Johnny sat up straight and listened intently. "What'd he do to you?"

"He's... God, how do I say this right..." Ben was silent for a few moments, and Johnny hung on to every breath. "Jonah's just full of himself right now."

"Yeah, like--"

"Like he's got the girl, he's got the cool motorcycle, he's finally gotten a chance to go home, and he just thinks he's king of the world," Ben continued angrily.

"Wait," Johnny said slowly, a spark of intuition flashing in his jade green eyes. "Is this... Is this about Jasmine?"

Ben was silent, and he couldn't think of something to say before Johnny laughed loudly.

"Oh crap! It IS! It totally IS!" Johnny cackled at him and flopped onto his back again. "I am so telling her. Right now. What's her extension?"

"Don't," Ben pleaded. "God, don't. Please."

"I was just screwing with you man," Johnny calmed down enough to stop laughing. "No, your secret is safe with me."

"I wish I could believe that," Ben grumbled before hanging up.

Johnny hung up too, elated with this new bit of gossip. He could dangle this fresh piece over Ben's head for days.

He jumped as he heard a crash in the kitchen, a loud one, like several dishes breaking at once. Getting to his feet, he slowly approached his bedroom door. "Mom...?"

He knew something was wrong. Mom didn't just drop dishes, not a chance, and even when she did drop them, Jean the Marvel Girl could most definately catch them with her telekineses.

"Mom?" he called again when she didn't answer. "Mom, are you okay?"

His fingers slowly inched for the doorknob. He pulled back as there was the sound of a thump. The noise sickened his stomach and chilled him to the bone. That was the sound of a body falling. His heart raced as he yanked the door open and rushed into the kitchen. "Mom!"

She was on the floor in the midst of broken china, her favorite china plates, shattered. He rushed to her side and got to his knees, pulling her head into his lap. "Mom? Mommy? Oh man, mom, are you okay?!"

"Johnny?" she murmured, her eyes fluttering open. Her eyes were the same shape and shade of green as her son's. "Oh baby, I'm alright. Help me up."

"Mom," Johnny said, holding her to him, not letting her move. "You fainted. I'm taking you to Dr. McCoy right now."

"I'm fine," she said insistantly, trying to push his arm away. He held fast, his smaller mother having no hope of breaking free. "Johnny, let me up."

"No way." He picked her up easily, cradleing her, and started for the door.

"Johnny, put me down," she commanded, struggling. "Johnathan Summers, you put me down this instant!"

Her eyes flashed orange for a moment, like flames, and that startled Johnny just long enough for his mother to break his hold. "Mom?"

"I'm not going to the infirmary. I am perfectly fine. I am going to the kitchen to clean up."

He glanced at her arm to see that she was bleeding from a deep cut in her left hand. "Mom, that looks serious."

"It's--" she paused, shaking her head. Her hands moved to her ears, and the dishes on the counter shuddered. "I'm--"

"Mom?" Johnny stepped forward nervously, holding out a hand. "Mom, are you--?"

"Get AWAY from me!" She shoved a hand in his direction as if to push him, and a last minute telekinetic block was all that saved Johnny from slamming into the opposite wall. He was pushed back a few inches, and he flinched at the force of it. "Just GET AWAY!"

"Mom, stop it!" Johnny shouted back. "What's wrong with you?!"

Her eyes were red flames, her hair flying up in a fiery halo, framing her perfect features. "Your mommy isn't in right now," a harsh voice escaped her lips. "And now you're going to die."

"Not today he isn't!"

Ben ran into the room and Johnny was suddenly scooped up from behind by someone huge. His surprised eyes flickered to him and realized it was Nico, with Alexis perched on his shoulder.

"Hi cousin J," she said, waving with a silly grin. "Ben said you were in trouble."

"Is that your mom?" Nico asked, looking at her with obvious doubt.

"Just get Johnny out of here, Nico," Ben commanded.

"No," Johnny shouted. "No, I'm Nico's team leader, and Nico, I say you put me down!"

"No can do," he said softly into Johnny's ear. "Ben's alpha leader. I have to do what he says."

"Alex, a little help?" Johnny glanced at her as she flew forward to join Ben.

"If that's really aunt Jean, you don't want to be here when Ben gets to her head," Alexis said. "Just get out of here."

"I am NOT leaving her!" Johnny pushed away from Nico and flew from his arms, rocketing into Ben and knocking both of them over. Ben cried out in pain as a piece of china lodged into his palm.

"You moron!" Ben yelled, shoving Johnny off of him and pulling out the piece of china. Johnny looked around the room, but Jean had gone.

"Where--" Johnny looked around, then heard the telepathic broadcast.

_My students, my dear students. Carry on without me. The Pheonix has escaped. My will is in the third drawer of my desk. Fare thee well--_

And it was cut off, with the sound of the professor's scream above their heads.

Ben cried out in agony, feeling his connection to his beloved professor fade.

And then Johnny knew.

Johnny knew that the professor was dead.

He knew he was dead, and his own mother had done the killing.

NEXT: Ben and Eevee


	13. Ben and Eevee

Episode 13: Ben and Eevee

_Xavier knew he was going to die. _

_It wasn't too hard to come to such a conclusion. He felt the pheonix awaken and knew that she would be angry at her captor. He felt her rise from the deepest places in Jean's mind... _

_And he was not afraid. _

_He calmly retrieved his will from the third drawer, laying underneath a photo of Scott Summers. He shook his head as he again thought about how much he missed that boy. Scribbling a small note to his Benjamin on the top lefthand corner, he placed it carefully under his hands and waited._

_'Dearest students... dearest children. I have an announcement.'_

_He felt Ben's mind push into his own. As he shifted through his professor's thoughts, Ben let out a mental cry._

_"Professor, no! Let me stop her-- this can't happen!"_

_"This can happen," the professor said calmly. "Let what passes pass. Release me, Ben."_

_"I can't," Ben shouted, agony welling up in his chest. "I can't. I need you!"_

_"I am so sorry to leave you." Xavier touched at Ben's mind as the Pheonix approached. "Fare thee well, beloved child."_

_..._

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Ben sat up abruptly. The dream was fading, but the memory burned in his mind until it overwhelmed him completely, a single dry sob escaping.

It had been three days.

He was suddenly aware of someone sitting lightly on the edge of his bed. He waited a moment for his breathing to slow down before looking up. Johnny, he thought, of Jonah. Please don't let it be Jasmine.

But it was Eevee. Her blonde curls obscured the moonlight in the window, and her green eyes were wet and full of worry. "Ben," She whispered. "You were screaming in your sleep."

"Eevee," Ben sighed. "Sorry. Did I wake you up?" He wondered how he could have woken her up. Her room was seven doors down.

"Tell me you're alright," she pleaded. Her voice wavered. "Tell me you're okay, Ben."

"I'm not," he murmured. "I miss him."

"We all miss him." She looked away. "You look awful. You haven't been eating."

"How can I eat when the Professor is gone?" Ben cried, snapping his head up to look directly at her. "How can I breathe when he isn't? How can I sleep when he won't wake up? How can any of us? How can we until we find Johnny's mom?"

"She's not Johnny's mom anymore."

"Don't you defend her," Ben shouted. "She killed him!"

Eevee flinched away. "This is hard for Johnny too."

"Johnny barely remembers her," Ben growled. "How can this be as hard for him?"

"You selfish... you... you arse!"

Ben sat back. He wasn't used to Eevee shouting at him, or anyone, like that. She was such a nice, quiet girl. He liked that about her. But her true anger overruled anything nice about her now.

"You don't care about anyone but yourself! You fawn after Jasmine, when she and Jonah are so happy, you manipulate Johnny, lie to him, your best friend, and you ignore everything that you have right in front of you! Am I invisible, Ben?!"

He watched her shout and pour her feelings in front of him, watched the angry tears roll down her cheeks, watched her hands flutter in aggrivation.

She was not invisible.

She was wonderful.

Beautiful.

He caught her into his arms mid-shout and kissed her.

She mumbled against his lips, something about needing to say something else, but she gave up and let her lips mold to his. She had wanted this so long, for him to see her, know her, love her.

She didn't even care if it was desperation that drove him forward.

When he let go, she pulled back and gasped. "Ben. You can kiss."

"Can I?" He laughed quietly. "Can't say I've had much practice."

She laughed with him and put her arms around him, rocking him back and forth as he started to cry. "Shhh, my Ben. Don't cry. He died in peace. He wasn't in pain."

Ben nodded. "I still need him."

"You have me now," she whispered. "I can help you."

Ben didn't answer. He thought about everything at once, about Johnny, about the Professor, about Eevee and how warm she was. He figured he could settle.

She was right. He was selfish.

But now everything was going to be alright.

She reached over his shoulder and touched the sealed enveolpe on his dresser. "His will?" she asked softly.

He picked it up and nodded. "Yes."

"Are you going to look at it?"

He was too busy reading the note on the top left corner to hear her. 'My Ben. Handle with care. I will always love you, son.'

"I don't know if I can," he whispered.

"Try," Eevee said. "I'm right here."

Ben nodded, still unsure, and peeled it open.

NEXT: What's Magneto got to do with the freaking will?!


End file.
